Timber-hook



A. M. CLOUGH.

TIMBER HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JANA, 1919.

Patented June 17, 1919.

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AND EW M. oLouGH, or BATAVIA. new YORK.

TIMBER-HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17!, 1919.

Application filed January 4, 1919. Serial No. 269,689.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,-ANnRnw M. CLoUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Batavia, in the county of Genesee and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Timber-Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to unloading apparatus and more particularly to a novel form of hook or grapplei especially designed for unloading cross-ties, rail girders, beams and the like from gondola cars.

The object of the invention is to provide :a timber hook of simple and durable construction by means of which cross-ties may be conveniently elevated from a car and the gripping jaws of the hook instantly regenerally to improve this timber hook the gripping jaws leased to drop the load at any desired point in the travel thereof.

The invention further aims to provide a timber hook including coacting gripping jaws andan intermediate stem upon which is slidably mounted a combined holding and releasingmember, the latter being attached to a draft line and so arranged thata longitudinal pull'on' the draft line will actuate said member to open the jaws and release the load, and when the line is slack said member will drop by gravity to loc 'ng position. r I

The invention further contemplates a of which are provided with terminal handles so as to permit said jaws to be manually moved to open position to grip a cross-tie independently of the combined releasing and locking device.

A "still further object of' the invention is class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is afront elevation of atimber hook embodying the present invention showing in full lines the combined locking and releasing member in lowered position and in dotted lines the position. assumed by the gripping jawswhen said member is in elevated position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of thearrows.

The: ante-e heels forming the -ofa subject-matter of the present invention comprises a cross-head preferably formed of spaced relatively flat bars 5 between which is interposed and rigidly secured the enlarged head 6 of a vertically disposed stem 7. The upper end of the stem 7 is bifurcated at 8 for the reception of a clevis 9, the latter being retained in position on the stem by means of a pin 10 and having its upper end attached to an elevating cable 11 leading to a crane of any suitable construction and indicated conventionally at 12. Arranged on opposite sides of the head 6 and pivotally mounted at 13 between the plates comprising the cross-head are gripping members or books 14 having terminal inwardly extending bills or spurs adapted to bite into the cross-tie and prevent accidental displacement thereof during the unloading operation. The hooks 14 are provided with diverging extensions 15 to the upper ends of which are secured suitable loops or handles '16 for the purpose of man ually opening the jaws to grip a cross-tie prior to unloading said tie from the car. The plates 5 comprising the cross-head are preferably formed with a plurality of transverse openings 17 so that by changing the position of the pivot pins or bolts l'3 the jaws 14 may be spaced at any desired distance apart so as to grip cross-ties and other objectsof different sizes.

Slidably mounted on the stem is a combined gripping and locking member 18, the latter being preferably substantially spherical in shape and having a longitudinal opening extending through the center thereof to permit the passage of the stem 7. Encircling.theextensions 1-5 of the gripping jaws are guiding loops or keepers 20 each provided with a threaded shank 21 which engages a correspondingly threaded opening formed in the member 18., said guiding loops or keeper's being loosely mounted on the extensions 15 so as to prevent binding or wedging action between the parts when the member 18 is vated or lowered positions. :Threaded in the upper surface of the combined releasing. andlocking member 18 and. preferably ofi'set with respect to the, stem 7 an attachin e e 22 to which is secured one end .ra cable 23, the other enact said cattle being; seamen enema er moved to elepulley 24 on the crane 12 with its terminal disposed within convenient reach of the operator of the crane. The upper surface of the head 6 is preferably curved or rounded and projects slightly above the upper longitudinal edges of the plates .5 constituting the cross-head so as to form in effect a bumper and receive the impact of the member 18 under certain conditions.

It will here be noted that the inclination of the inner longitudinal edges of the extensions 15 corresponds to the inclination of the side walls of the member 18 so that When the handles 16 are manually forced together the member 18 will ride upwardly on the stem 7 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. When the handles 16 are released the member 18 will drop by gravity to lowered position between the inner longitudinal edges of the jaw extensions and thus lock the gripping ends of said jaws in engagement with the cross tie or other object to be elevated. It will, of course, be understood that the extent of downward movement of the member 18 is controlled by the spread of the active ends of the gripping jaws and that when gripping relatively narrow objects the head 6 will form a buffer and receive the impact of the member 18.

In unloading cross-ties and the, like from gondola cars the workman on the car moves the jaws to open position by pressing inwardly on the handles 16 and then positions the jaws over one of the cross-ties to be elevated. As soon as the handles are released the downward movement of the member 18 will force the jaws to closed position and hold them securely in engagement with the tie. The workman or attendant on the crane then operates the latter to elevate the cross-tie and when said cross-tie has reached the desired height and has been swung laterally to one side of the ear, the

load man .be released by merely exterting a longitudinal pull on the draft cable 23 which moves the member 18 to elevated position thereby opening the jaws and permitting the cross-tie to drop at the side of the car, or at any other convenient place where it is desired to deposit the ties.

While the hook or grapple is particularly designed for loading and unloading railway cross-ties it will, of course, be understood that the device may be used with equally.

good results for handling rail girders, metallic beams and the like without departing from the spirit of the invention.

aving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An unloading device including pivotally united jaws having extensions, a stem interposed between the jaws, an elevating device connected with the stem, a combined releasing elevating device connected with and locking member slidably mounted on the stem, a connection bet een the load while the latter is in suspension.

2. An unloading device including a cross head, a stem secured to the cross-head, an the stem, coacting gripping jaws pivotally mounted on the cross-head and provided with diverging extensions, a combined releasing and locking member slidab-ly mounted on the stem, a connection between said member and the extensions of the jaws, said member when in lowered position serving to hold the jaws in engagement with the load, and means connected with said member for elevating the latter on the stem to move the jaws to open position and release the load while the latter is in suspension.

3. An unloading device including a crosshead, a stem secured to the cross-head and provided with means for attachment to an elevating cable, jaws pivotally mounted on the cross-head and provided with diverging extensions, a combined releasing and lock ing member slidably mounted on the stem, guiding loops encircling the jaw extensions and secured to said member, and a draft cable operatively connected with said memher for elevatingthe same on the stem to move the jaws to open position and release the load while the latter is suspended by the elevating cable. i

4. An unloading device including a crosshead, a stem secured to the cross-head, and provided with means for attachment to an elevating cable, gripping jaws pivotally mounted on the cross-head and provided with diverging extensions terminating in handles, a combined releasing and locking member slidably mounted on the stem, guiding members engaging the extensions of the gripping jaws and secured to said member, and a draft line connected with said memher. for actuating the same to release the jaws and permit discharge of the load while the latter is suspended by the elevating cable. i

5. An unloading device including a crosshead formed of spaced plates, a steminterposed between said plates and provided with means for attachment to an elevating cable, gripping. jaws pivotally mounted between the plates of the cross-head and provided with diverging extensions terminating in handles, a combined releasing and locking member slidab-ly mounted on the stem, loops encircling the extensions of the jaws and engaging said member, and an eye secured to the upper end of the said member and oifset with respect to the ,stem for attachment to a draft line, said member being operable to release the jaws and permit discharge of the load while the latter is suspended by the elevatin cable.

6. Zn unloading device including a cross head, a stem secured to the cross-head and provided with means for attachment to an elevating cable, gripping jaws pivotally mounted on the cross-head on opposite sides of the stem and provided with diverging extensions, a substantially spherical combined releasing and locking member slidably mounted on the stem, guiding members carried by said member and engaging the extensions of the gripping jaws, and means attached to said member for elevating the same to move the jaws to open position and release the load while the latter is suspended by the elevating cable, said member being copies this patent may be obtained for movable by gravity to lowered position between the extensions of the jaws and serving to hold said jaws closed.

7 An unloading device including pivotally united jaws, a stem arranged between said jaws, an elevating device connected with the stem, a combined releasing and locking member slidably mounted on the stem and cooperating with the jaws for holding the jaws in engagement, with the load, and means connected with said member for elevating the same thereby to release the jaws and permit discharge of the load while the latter is suspended oy the elevating device.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ANDREW M. CLOUGH. [1 s] five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

